I've always been interested in fashion and the business of fashion. I write about the latest clothes and trends just as much as I write about the commerce and trade of the industry. I also like to write about how history, art and popular culture relate to fashion. I have more than 10 years of fashion journalism background—a decade or so of writing and dressing in everything from Prada to Zara to Yves Saint Laurent. I write for the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, Asia Tatler and Harper's Bazaar Singapore. You can also read my thoughts on fashion and design on http://www.styleintel.com/ Follow me on twitter: @bluecarreon

Cristobal Balenciaga and Nicolas Ghesquiere crept into the fall 2013 collections in New York. At least on the first day.

Tadashi Shoji was inspired by the Romanov Empire for fall and you can see this influence in the velvet dresses combined with lace, in the tiered numbers and the use of dramatic red. It was Anastasia meets Anna Karenina. It was a superb collection with several gowns that are ripe for the Oscars red carpet picking. In those exquisite dress and gowns, you can see traces of Cristobal Balenciaga by the way of cocooning bustles on the back and the volume used to create tieres and sleeves. But Shoji is an original and he pushed his vision by executing couture shapes through modern materials like neoprene. Who would have guessed that those lace overlay dresses toward the end of the show were constructed from neoprene? From afar they looked like they were made from heavy silk. Such a technical feat.

Timo Weiland seemed to have had Balenciaga on his mind too when he was designing his collection. But of the Nicolas Ghesquiere variety. You can see it in the short dresses with kicky skirts worn over cigarette pants and topped off with a ball cap and in the boxy sweaters. But Weiland gave these looks his own spin by injecting a youthful vitality to the clothes. The standouts for me where the coats in oversized shapes and that plaid trouser suit, which showed off Weiland’s tailoring skills.

Costello Tagliapietra continued with their signature draped jersey wrap dresses and abstract print frocks, deftly moving from jewel-toned shades to earthy colors and back. They showed mostly dresses and a couple of outerwear like the first look, a belted coat with an oversized shawl collar.

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